Two Russian
epic films full of perspective tricks with model miniatures and paintings. Both
directed by Alexandr Putshko.
Ilya
Muromets (The sword and the dragon, 1956) with Yevgeni Svidetelev as FX art
director and Boris Travkin and Aleksei Renkov as FX cinematography.
There are many background miniatures, with
some matte shots and split screen composites.
Those kinds
of perspective tricks are usual at Russian films during the 50´s and 60´s. They
were accomplished craftsmen in the use of miniatures and matte shots. Two
samples of background miniatures.
Matte
paintings used to complete and enhance some scenic art.
The Dragon
as a flying miniature and a full size mechanical creature.
Two matte
paintings of distant city walls.
At all the
Russian films I have seen, matte paintings were uncredited. I don’t know a
single Russian matte painter, unless the FX art director was responsible for
that work.
If there is any Russian FX artists who known
anything on who made what on these old epic films, I would be very grateful to
learn about it
The second film is Sadko (The
magic Voyage of Sinbad, 1953) Again with
Yevgeni Svidetelev, this time as production Designer, and Sergei Mukhim as responsible for Special
effcts.
A painting
of a city matted into footage of a real location.
Hanging
miniature of the city enhancing the wall set.
A miniature set with a painted fantasy city probably
filmed on a water tank.
Two more samples
of foreground hanging miniatures perfectly matching the walls of the city.
